Author

R. J. Whitaker

Listed by name: these papers carry no ORCID for this author, so different people with the same name may be mixed together.

Biology Disciplines

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Microbiology· 4 Ecology· 2 Biochemistry· 1 Evolutionary Biology· 1

Signature Assays, Organisms & Methods

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Research Focus:host-pathogen & immune response· 5 Approach:statistical model· 4 Organism:bacteria (other)· 3 Approach:experimental assay· 2 Research Focus:gene regulatory network inference· 2 Approach:genetic perturbation / CRISPR· 2 Organism:human· 2 Assay:whole-genome sequencing· 2

Frequent Co-Authors

T. Kim· 3 shared C. Zhang· 2 shared G. A. O'Toole· 2 shared Z. Rapti· 2 shared A. C. Steinlein· 1 shared A. J. Collins· 1 shared A. P. R. Phillips· 1 shared D. E. Campbell· 1 shared

Activity by Year

2018-2023 · peak 3/yr

Co-Author Collaboration Network

10 top collaborators · 11 mutual co-author links

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3 shared papersMicrobiology

T. Kim

Mutual co-authors in cluster

Author profile →

8 papers

Recent·Most cited

Phage-mediated resolution of genetic conflict alters the evolutionary trajectory of Pseudomonas aeruginosa lysogens

L. C. Suttenfield, Z. Rapti, A. C. Steinlein, J. C. Vera, T. Kim, R. J. Whitaker

This study shows that phage-mediated resolution of genetic conflict in Pseudomonas aeruginosa lysogens leads to evolutionary changes in CRISPR immunity and genome structure.

bioRxiv · Oct 24, 2023 · PreprintMicrobiology

Prediction of prophages and their host ranges in pathogenic and commensal Neisseria species

G. Orazi, A. J. Collins, R. J. Whitaker

This study identifies 1302 prophages in 21 Neisseria species using virus prediction tools and finds that 20% are significantly targeted by CRISPR-Cas systems, suggesting interspecies phage movement.

bioRxiv · Dec 16, 2021Microbiology

Discovering the Molecular Determinants of Phaeobacter inhibens susceptibility to Phaeobacter phage MD18

G. Urtecho, D. E. Campbell, D. M. Hershey, R. J. Whitaker, G. A. O'Toole

This paper identifies Phaeobacter phage MD18, a novel phage infecting Phaeobacter inhibens, and finds that type IV pili serve as receptors for phage adsorption.

mSphere · Dec 23, 2020Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

The network structure and eco-evolutionary dynamics of CRISPR-induced immune diversification

S. Pilosof, S. A. Alcala-Corona, T. Wang, T. Kim, S. Maslov, R. J. Whitaker, M. Pascual

The paper models CRISPR-mediated host-virus interactions and shows empirical systems exhibit weighted-nested protection networks indicative of host suppression of virus diversification.

bioRxiv · Apr 30, 2020Evolutionary Biology

A viral ring nuclease anti-CRISPR subverts type III CRISPR immunity

J. S. Athukoralage, S. McMahon, C. Zhang, S. Gruschow, S. Graham, M. Krupovic, R. J. Whitaker, T. Gloster, M. F. White

This study identifies a viral anti-CRISPR enzyme that degrades cyclic tetra-adenylate, neutralizing type III CRISPR immunity in bacteria and archaea.

bioRxiv · Sep 24, 2019Biochemistry

Modeling the control of bacterial infections via antibiotic-induced proviruses

S. Clifton, T. Kim, J. H. Chandrashekhar, G. A. O'Toole, Z. Rapti, R. J. Whitaker

This paper models how antibiotic treatment can control bacterial infections by inducing latent phage, showing that sub-inhibitory antibiotics can manage infections when bacteria carry latent viruses.

bioRxiv · Jul 18, 2019Ecology

Viral Invasion Fitness Across a Continuum from Lysis to Latency

J. S. Weitz, G. Li, H. Gulbudak, M. H. Cortez, R. J. Whitaker

The paper introduces a cell-centric metric to quantify viral invasion fitness, showing that strategies like lysogeny can outperform lytic strategies under certain conditions.

Virus Evolution · Apr 22, 2019Peer-reviewedEcology

The essential genome of the crenarchaeal model Sulfolobus islandicus

C. Zhang, A. P. R. Phillips, R. L. Wipfler, G. J. Olsen, R. J. Whitaker

This study identifies essential genes for Sulfolobus islandicus growth, challenges previous assumptions about essential functions, and highlights genes with unknown roles.

bioRxiv · Sep 4, 2018Microbiology